'HIE TURF TO THE RESTORATION. 71 



known in that part of the world. They could boast of Plantagenet blood in their 

 veins, and their sporting characteristics were worthily transmitted to their modern 

 representative, Lord Hastings, of the Jockey Club, who won the Derby and the 

 St Leger of 1885 with Melton. A third racing family which has given conspicuous 

 proof of its vitality within our generation was that of Sir George Bowes, who was 

 racing hard at Newcastle in 1633, as his uncle relates with some misgivings, in a 

 letter dated that year. Besides private matches there were " two silver potts granted 

 by the Common Council," in the year before, to be won by the adventurous Sir 

 George, for the race on Killingworth Moor after Whitsuntide. A fourth great name 

 of the early seventeenth century Turf was that of the unfortunate Sir Richard 

 Gargrave, who at one time owned so much land in Yorkshire that he could ricle from 

 Wakefield to Doncaster on his own property. By reckless gambling, in addition to 

 extravagant expenses on his racing stud, he completely ruined himself and died in 

 obscurity in the Temple. Ascombe Moor, Black Hambleton, and Tollerton were 

 popular Yorkshire race meetings in those days, the latter of which is celebrated by 

 " Drunken Barnaby " as follows : 



" Thence to Towlerton where those stagers 

 Or horsecoursers run for wagers. 

 Near to the highway the course is 

 Where they ride and run their horses." 



By January 16, 1632, the gilt-silver cup and cover provided by the Corporation 

 of Northampton, at the charges of Lord Spencer, was established as a yearly prize 

 on the Thursday in Easter week; and the course may still be traced in Earl Spencer's 

 coverts at Harlestone Firs, now preserved, and therefore not open to public inspection 

 as was the case till comparatively lately. At Salisbury a similar arrangement had 

 been made three years before for the Thursday next after the middle Sunday in Lent, 

 when a silver-gilt cup was established " to be yearly runn for with the race-horses, 

 at the Generall Horse Race then used," with long and careful directions for the 

 future in every detail, as for instance, " that the said Maiorand Comynalty shall and 

 will yearly provide and cause to be in readyness at the said race one of the inhabitants 

 of the said citty, or some other person who shall attend at the usual starting place of 

 the race to give the word when the horses to run the said race shall begin to start 

 and run the same. And shall and will likewise yearly at the said place provide three 

 men with muskets charged with powder to be discharged as followeth, that is to say : 

 One of the said three men to stand at the first myle's end from the starting place of 



